There were an unprecedented amount of food recalls in 2018, and 2019 is shaping up to be just as bad, yet another reason people should not only be stocking up on survival foods, but should also consider year-round indoor gardening, which is much easier than many might believe.
In 2018 there were 22 separate outbreaks investigated by the CDC, the most in over a decade. According to the FDA and the soon to be leaving Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, the food hasn't become less safe, but rather the technology to identify the link outbreaks of human illness to a common pathogen has gotten more advanced, so more outbreak investigations and subsequent recalls should be expected.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price for lettuce rose 14.5 percent from February 2018 through February 2019. In that same time frame fresh vegetables rose 5.8 percent and baby food rose 5.6 percent. The cost for eggs, dried beans, peas and lentils decreased. Using eggs as an example, while from 2018 to 2019 the price decreased by 5.9 percent, from 2017 to 2018, they had increased by 10.8 percent, according to the USDA, which means eggs are still more expensive today than they were two years ago, despite the decrease from 2018 to 2019.
Every year food-at-home (grocery store or supermarket food items) prices fluctuate but there is no question that when we go to grocery store, we are leaving with less food for the same amount of money, or spending more money for the same amount of food.
Yet another reason to grow as much food as possible, all year round.
GROW AS MUCH OF YOUR OWN AS POSSIBLE EVEN WITH LIMITED SPACE
While most of us can do nothing about the meat recalls because we aren't ranchers with a stable of livestock, many survival food companies do sell freeze dried meat alone, which can be re-hydrated and added to any dish, and powdered egg products, and fruits, with a long shelf life, 15 to 25 years, but even those living with limited space, such as in a small apartment, can grow a significant amount of their own vegetables, fruits and herbs/spices, inside their homes year round.
While many of us are preparing to get our planting started after a brutal winter, others do not have outdoor space, or live in apartments, which limits the amount of food they can grow, but as I was researching for ways to still grow our own food indoors during the winter months, I came across some awesome resources and items to help everyone grow as much as possible indoors all throughout the year.
Vegetables seem to be the hardest hit with recalls, from lettuce to baby spinach, and what better way to know that what you are eating is safe and won't be the next thing recalled, than to grow your own, which also will be very handy when SHTF.
During my research on indoor growing, I came across a piece over at NY Mag, listing the best kits for herbs, microgreens and even vegetables, which led me to check out even more. A few are shown and linked to below, but the top ten are all over there in a piece titled "The Best Indoor Garden Kits, According to Chefs and Gardeners."
To me herbs are essential, whether it is to add to salads or cut up for flavoring dishes, growing them inside, right on a window sill has never been easier, since they now have kits that are self-watering, and requires nothing more than setting them up, placing them on the sill and forgetting about them until you want to cut some off to use. Most even come with their own organic, non-GMO seeds.
One of the last ones from that NY Mag piece that I will highlight is the "Mr. Stacky Smart Farm," which sounded kind of corny, but allows for a 20 plant veggie garden, which stacks upward so it doesn't take up much room.
There are also resources online with easy to follow tips and advice on growing gardens indoors.
With rising food prices and the amount of recalls from contamination, salmonella, e.coli, listeria, etc..... what better way to save money to use for other things, even more prepping supplies, while knowing that the fruit and vegetables and herbs you are using are fresh, safe, organic and non-GMO.
Many prepping pieces are based on "what if" scenarios, or SHTF preparations, because we do live in a volatile world, but growing your own food is a basic skill, can be done whether one has large swaths of land to grow outside, or even growing it indoors with limited space, and doesn't have to be done in preparation for any "event," but simply to become as self-sufficient as possible.
One does not have to be a prepper or a survivalist to see the multitude of benefits of maintaining an indoor garden year round.
As always with these pieces, any indoor (or outdoor!) gardening tips, advice links, resources or videos are always welcome in the comment section.
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